East Washinton Natural Gas Explosion Caused By Pipe Rupture

PLYMOUTH, Wash. (AP) — A Northwest Pipeline official says a pressure vessel rupture caused the March 31 natural gas explosion that injured five people and forced an evacuation at Plymouth in Eastern Washington.

Northwest Pipeline vice president Ed Brewer told a community meeting Tuesday night in Plymouth the company is still investigating what caused the rupture on the vessel that removes carbon dioxide from the gas before it's liquefied.

KEPR reports (http://bit.ly/1hBiMTq) people at the meeting questioned the evacuation procedure and one man suggested installing a warning siren.

The explosion threw a piece of shrapnel that left a big gash in the side of a liquefied natural gas storage tank at the Williams Northwest Pipeline storage facility, which is across the Columbia River from Umatilla (yoo-muh-TIHL'-ah), Ore.

The facility supplies gas during times of high demand to customers in Washington and Oregon.